Engine Swap? Options

[collinsvc15]

Well I have found a complete SRT-4 engine assembly with 10,000 miles for $1,700 (w/ transmission $2,500). I have a few questions that need to be answered before I go buy it. Will the engine bolt up to our 2.4L transmission? For SebringLX, what exact upgrades need to be done to our transmissions to handle the turbo? Finally, am I better off buying the manual transmission and swapping it?

[neox]

I believe our stock transmission can handle around 300bhp. A couple problems.. SRT4 motor and transmission mounts are different, getting the computer situation worked out is going to be a PITA, and adding a shifter/clutch doesn't sound easy. SebringLX explains a lot of the problems in this thread:

http://www.2gss.org/index.php?showtopic=12556

[collinsvc15]

After looking through that thread I started to wonder if I could just buy the SRT-4 engine and search for a PT Cruiser transmission to mount to it. I am not sure if the PT Cruiser transmission uses the same mounts as our transmissions though. I assume they are different but I can't be the judge of that. If I remember right the thread stated that the PT Cruiser has the same engine as the SRT-4, therefore I should be able to use the ECU from the PT Cruiser with little modifications needed. All I would need to do is get a rebuild kit for the motor and transmission, which can be a little pricey but not to much of an issue, and get some engine and transmission (if different) mounts fabricated.

SRT-4 Engine + PT Cruiser Transmission + PT Crusier ECU + Fabricated Mounts = A running automatic SRT-4 engine

[SebringLX]

After looking through that thread I started to wonder if I could just buy the SRT-4 engine and search for a PT Cruiser transmission to mount to it. I am not sure if the PT Cruiser transmission uses the same mounts as our transmissions though. I assume they are different but I can't be the judge of that. If I remember right the thread stated that the PT Cruiser has the same engine as the SRT-4, therefore I should be able to use the ECU from the PT Cruiser with little modifications needed. All I would need to do is get a rebuild kit for the motor and transmission, which can be a little pricey but not to much of an issue, and get some engine and transmission (if different) mounts fabricated.

SRT-4 Engine + PT Cruiser Transmission + PT Crusier ECU + Fabricated Mounts = A running automatic SRT-4 engine

Our automatic is the same automatic in the PT Cruiser, there's no need to get a PT Cruiser transmission. It's not just as simple as unplugging our PCM and plugging in an a PT Cruiser PCM either. That would actually be a nightmare. The PT Cruiser isn't like the 2GSS, the PT Cruiser actually stores mileage in the cluster. There's going to be sensor problems, VIN mismatch, differences in other electronics between the 2 cars that the PCM is going to freak out over, etc.

For $1700 you may as well just have the 2.4L you already have in your car rebuilt with SRT-4 internals, it's going to cost about the same. If you are #### bent on using an SRT-4 engine, the only thing you're going to be able to use off of it is the head and the block. The block will bolt up in the engine bay. I thought I covered the transmission in that other thread too. An SRT-4 block should bolt up to our transmission, provided you swap everything off of a 2GSS 2.4L onto it where the transmission connects to the engine at (flywheel, etc). The turbo and turbo manifold will be useless to you, won't fit. The intake manifold you will need, but it won't fit without modification. Depending on what year SRT-4 the engine came out of, the fuel rail may be useless to you as well. You will need to convert it to a return system, and you can't do that without an aftermarket fuel rail depending on the year. You also may have problems with the crank sensor, depending on what year your 2GSS is and what year the SRT-4 engine came out of.

Bottom line, as I have said over and over again. It is much easier and much more cost effective to convert the 2.4L you already have into a turbo 2.4L than it is to try and swap in an SRT-4 or PT Cruiser engine.

My car is almost done, kits will be available soon.

[Bring It Man]

WOW, only 10,000 miles on it? does it work...lol Thats a sweet deal, but installing it will be a challenge...Now I say if you have the skill, knowledge, and tools... go a head...just remember thats is not going to be as easy as just swapping parts. Being that you have a 2.4, (basically the same block) just swap the intenals, and whatever other parts you may need, and can use...It would make you life a whole lot easier...

Its kind of sad because thats a pretty good deal too...

[collinsvc15]

Well maybe I think a little faster than is good for me. I talked to the guy selling the engine and he said he would give me the whole cylinder head assembly for $225 + Shipping. So, since I am in college now I figure I will build a naturally aspired engine. I want to build it simialr to that of the Honda B-Series and K-Series engines. In other words I am going for a higher than stock compression and high RPMs. I have chosen not install a turbo until I am out of college and get a decent job. What I plan to do now is get the cylinder head ported and polished. Then through in some 10.5:1 compression pistons with a 0.20 overbore. I am going to order larger than stock valves for better strength and durability. As for the valve springs and retainers I plan on going with Crane since that company has a good reputation behind their name. I am not sure what I will do for for the camshafts quite yet, the SRT-4 cams that will come with the block are useless until I get a turbo kit. Next I will use either AEM or Fidanza camshaft gears. Finally I will talk to the guys at Modern Performance to order the rest of the top and bottom end rebuild part (I have heard alot of negative responses about Modern Performance though). I am not sure if the Greddy E-Mangement and the Profec-01 will over ride our ECUs to help me get to my goal of higher RPMs since our ECUs have a max RPM of 6250.

Does anyone have any recommendation for the camshafts for an all motor application?

Can I use the crankshaft from the SRT-4 or will the 2.0L Neon crankshaft fit in our cars?

Can the Greddy E-Management and Profec-01 over ride our governed speed of 117-120mph?

[Dodgeman7]

Well maybe I think a little faster than is good for me. I talked to the guy selling the engine and he said he would give me the whole cylinder head assembly for $225 + Shipping. So, since I am in college now I figure I will build a naturally aspired engine. I want to build it simialr to that of the Honda B-Series and K-Series engines. In other words I am going for a higher than stock compression and high RPMs. I have chosen not install a turbo until I am out of college and get a decent job. What I plan to do now is get the cylinder head ported and polished. Then through in some 10.5:1 compression pistons with a 0.20 overbore. I am going to order larger than stock valves for better strength and durability. As for the valve springs and retainers I plan on going with Crane since that company has a good reputation behind their name. I am not sure what I will do for for the camshafts quite yet, the SRT-4 cams that will come with the block are useless until I get a turbo kit. Next I will use either AEM or Fidanza camshaft gears. Finally I will talk to the guys at Modern Performance to order the rest of the top and bottom end rebuild part (I have heard alot of negative responses about Modern Performance though). I am not sure if the Greddy E-Mangement and the Profec-01 will over ride our ECUs to help me get to my goal of higher RPMs since our ECUs have a max RPM of 6250.

Does anyone have any recommendation for the camshafts for an all motor application?

Can I use the crankshaft from the SRT-4 or will the 2.0L Neon crankshaft fit in our cars?

Can the Greddy E-Management and Profec-01 over ride our governed speed of 117-120mph?

Wait for the ECU flashers SebringLX is developing, they will be out soon and I think they'll be just what you're looking for.

Crankshaft wise I know the 2.0 will not fit but I'm not sure about the SRT-4. The engines are the same displacement so I don't know why you'd want it but that's just my two cents.

[SebringLX]

Well maybe I think a little faster than is good for me. I talked to the guy selling the engine and he said he would give me the whole cylinder head assembly for $225 + Shipping. So, since I am in college now I figure I will build a naturally aspired engine. I want to build it simialr to that of the Honda B-Series and K-Series engines. In other words I am going for a higher than stock compression and high RPMs. I have chosen not install a turbo until I am out of college and get a decent job. What I plan to do now is get the cylinder head ported and polished. Then through in some 10.5:1 compression pistons with a 0.20 overbore. I am going to order larger than stock valves for better strength and durability. As for the valve springs and retainers I plan on going with Crane since that company has a good reputation behind their name. I am not sure what I will do for for the camshafts quite yet, the SRT-4 cams that will come with the block are useless until I get a turbo kit. Next I will use either AEM or Fidanza camshaft gears. Finally I will talk to the guys at Modern Performance to order the rest of the top and bottom end rebuild part (I have heard alot of negative responses about Modern Performance though). I am not sure if the Greddy E-Mangement and the Profec-01 will over ride our ECUs to help me get to my goal of higher RPMs since our ECUs have a max RPM of 6250.

Does anyone have any recommendation for the camshafts for an all motor application?

Can I use the crankshaft from the SRT-4 or will the 2.0L Neon crankshaft fit in our cars?

Can the Greddy E-Management and Profec-01 over ride our governed speed of 117-120mph?

The Profec E-01 is a BOOST controller, you wouldn't use that on an NA application. The e-Manage is just a piggy back fuel management system. You can only mess with injector size/flow and timing with it. You can't do anything with your governer on it. You really wouldn't use an e-Manage on an NA application. It won't do anything to raise the RPM limit either. The only things you can do to raise the rev limit or the governer, is either wait for the SCT support of the PCM you have (not sure what year your car is, but right now only 05+ is supported), or go with a stand alone. If you go with a stand alone like the AEM EMS, you can say good by to using your automatic transmission (unlesss you can find a stand alone transmission controller). Plus the AEM EMS will set you back $3000. Or there's MegaSquirt which is a lot cheaper, open source, and very complicated.

I don't think you have any clue as to what you want to do, or how to do it. You need to do a lot more research, and make a decision. If you build an NA engine, you can forget about adding a turbo to it. You either go one way or the other. You don't build a high HP NA expecting to add a turbo to it later. Once you go high compression, and everything else you're going to need to do to make an NA monster, you'd have to start over from scratch with pretty much an entire new engine to go turbo.

Building a high HP NA can cost just as much, if not more than a turbo. The boring, porting, polishing, etc., all very expensive. Beefy connection rods, beefy high compression pistons, very expensive. Cams, and all the other valve train components that go with it... very expensive. You could spend over $5k in the blink of an eye trying to squeeze every last ounce of HP out of a 2.4L NA, and still be barely breaking 200 HP. You could go really big $$$, like well over $10k, and build an NA 2.6L stroker out of your 2.4L, but you still won't come near what you'd have with the turbo.

BTW the cams in the SRT-4 are the same as the cams in our 2.4L. That's why I didn't bother changing them. I would have had to get some Crane #16's for it to be an upgrade, and those aren't cheap, plus they were on back order at the time.

Why would you even want to change the crank shaft? The SRT-4 crank shaft is no different from the crank shaft in our 2.4L. The 2.0L Neon crank isn't going to be any stronger either.